[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 3]
[Senate]
[Pages 3794-3795]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                     UPCOMING ELECTIONS IN ZIMBABWE

  Mr. FEINGOLD. Mr. President, since independence in 1980, politics in 
Zimbabwe had been dominated by one party and indeed one man President 
and head of the ruling ZANU-PF, Robert Mugabe. In February 2000, 
Zimbabwe's citizens delivered a blow to President Mugabe when they 
rejected his party's proposed new constitution, and then in June's 
legislative elections, even without access to the state-run media and 
without significant financing, opposition candidates managed to win 58 
of 150 parliamentary seats, up from just 3.
  In 2000, I joined many in Zimbabwe and the international community in 
hoping that this victory would mark the end of the ruling party's 
stranglehold on the state and herald the opening of democratic space 
and opportunities in a country that has seen repression for too long. 
Instead, Mr. Mugabe

[[Page 3795]]

and his party responded to these defeats by tightening their grip on 
power. In 2000, international headlines warned of ``Zimbabwe's 
unprecedented economic and social crisis'' with unemployment at 50 
percent and almost 60 percent inflation, and the 2000 elections were 
marred by the harassment of opposition candidates and supporters in 
which at least 25 were killed.
  These numbers pale in comparison with the devastating economic and 
political situations in Zimbabwe today. According to official figures, 
annual inflation now tops 100,000 percent with 80 percent employment 
despite the fact that at least one quarter of the population has fled 
the country. Meanwhile, the harassment and intimidation of the 
independent media, opposition politicians, civil society leaders, and 
human rights advocates has become more widespread and systematic.
  Exactly 1 year ago today, when opposition party activists and members 
of civil society attempted to hold a peaceful prayer meeting in 
response to President Mugabe's announcement that he would seek 
reelection, they were brutally assaulted by ZANU-PF police officers, 
security forces, and youth militia. More than 50 were arrested, at 
least 1 killed, and many badly beaten.
  On this somber anniversary, I appeal to political leaders here in the 
United States, in Africa, and around the world to send a strong signal 
to President Mugabe and his supporters that we want to see Zimbabwe 
recover from its current crisis and we will be watching as the 
unprecedented simultaneous presidential and legislative general 
elections are held on March 29. The violent repression, and even 
coercive harassment, we saw in March 2007 is unacceptable and will have 
negative consequences both internally and externally.
  For years, I have been frustrated and saddened by the hastening 
decline of this country. The courageous, patriotic citizens of Zimbabwe 
who resist the state's repression, even at enormous personal cost, must 
know that the world supports them, and the country's corrupt and 
tyrannical rulers must be told that their time is up.
  Although it will not happen this month, I hope that someday soon the 
people of Zimbabwe will be given a chance to freely express their will 
in a genuine democratic process that is free from manipulation, 
intimidation, and coercion.

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